When The Last Petal Falls
by KenshinOro730
Summary: She had been preparing for this day her entire life. Everything depended on this. But can she listen to fate when she discovers that her destiny is to destroy all that she loves?
1. Chapter 1: As the World Crashes

**When The Last Petal Falls…**

Chapter One: As the World Crashes We Fall Into Destiny, For That Is All We Can Do…

_Beep! Beep! Beep! _The alarm clock announced, it's ringing particularly loud in the peaceful silence of early morning. Rose opened one eye warily, grunting when she saw the time. 5:30. She sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position. The room was filled with a dull gray light, everything looking more mysterious in the dimness. She walked to the window, feeling oddly calm, the quiet surrounding her, lulling her into a hypnotic state. The sun was just rising over the Horizon, casting beautiful pink and golden rays into the bleakness. It gave her a feeling of security, it seemed as if the Horizon held heaven, and the rays were God's hope, hope for the desolate and destructive world below. The wind blew gently across her face, tickling her arm. She suddenly glanced down, and saw the birthmark, the mark of the Huntsclan. It wound its way around her palm, glowing with an eerie iridescence. Looking at the sun, rising on schedule, just like it did every day, she felt a similar bond resided within her. Everyday she rose, performing her schoolwork, then her duties as Huntsgirl, and never questioned why she did it. She just did it. Being caught up in her own busy life, she never thought about anyone else, anything else. She never took the time to look at the sunrise. Everything she had gone through, every struggle, every fight, all the long hours of tedious training, they all led up to this. This day. It seemed as if the morning was congratulating her, giving her this small triumph of glory, of victory. She smiled at the peach tinted clouds, as they sky around her grew lighter, more vibrant in color. This was her day, her battle, and the very clouds seemed to know that. They were happy for her, encouraging her to take the position that was rightfully hers.

"Grasp the day," she whispered, entranced by the beauty of the world, how even the most repulsive or crude buildings and skyscrapers were touched by the loveliness of the light, their pale or shiny surfaces reflecting the rainbow of color. A frown came to her lips. Was the morning celebrating while it could, knowing that this was the last time it could sing its harmonious song? Did the world that seemed so happy and inviting now, know that by dusk, its joyous fields would be blood-spattered? That many would die today, that all that was just would triumph, but not without the loss of thousands?

"The Day of Death is here," she whispered to the wind. "But the very place that will be housing this battle seems to be ignorant of that fact…"

**A/N: Okay, so here is my attempt at a suitable mystery chapter. This is set before the Ski Trip and The Hunted. Disclaimer: Dude, ya know I don't own AD:JL. PLEASE REVIEW, if you want me to continue!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Silence of Reality

**Chapter Two: The Silence of Reality**

Jake sat quietly at the table in his grandfather's shop. It was only 7:00 a.m., but Jake was dressed and fed. The silence in the old shop loomed in the air, suffocating him. He walked up the wooden stairs, emerging on the rooftop. He walked over to the edge of the roof, peering down at the bustling city below. He sighed. _So this is it, today's the day. _

Two months ago,the Dragon Council had discovered that the Huntsclan was planning a mass attack on the magical world. This was unlike their usual pathetic stabs at murder. They had tens of thousands of Hunters ready. Jake and Lao Shi had been training harder than ever. Jake hadn't really thought much of it at first, but after he saw how upset, and…possibly _scared_ Grampa looked; Jake understood that this was nothing to be dealt with lightly. He actually started taking training seriously, practicing all day. Slowly, he became stronger, quicker, and more strategical in battles. Now, his grandfather was easy to fight, though Jake never told him that.

He felt an unfamiliar, and a bit nerve-racking, sense of foreboding. He thought about everything his grandpa had ever taught him. _It's all led up to this… _he thought. Everyone in the magical realm had always known that a battle of these proportions would come, but they didn't expect it to be so soon. Now, nixes were scrambling for moonstones (1), a Gremlin army was being drafted (2), and Magus Bizarre was no longer the happy hub-bub of a marketplace; it was nearly evacuated.

Here, in the early morning, though it was anything but quiet, it was calm. All the noise of the city seemed far away, like he was watching it on a television screen. The wind bit coldly against his face, but he couldn't bring himself to return to the shop. Returning to the shop meant returning to reality, facing everything that was evil, and, hopefully, winning. Standing on the rooftop, he decided that whatever happened, he would accept it. Whatever fate had in store for him, whatever challenges or obstacles that got in his way, he would face them.

He gave himself a reassuring nod before heading back down the stairs; back to reality.

**I donno if this was in the show, but in RadiantBeam's story, Trust, Jasmine controlled her nix powers with a moonstone.**

**Gremlins will be used to destroy the Huntsclan's staff's and other technology.**

**Okay, please review! I know, another short chapter, but I'm kinda gonna be goin' back and forth between Jake and Rose's points of view. The next chap will be Thorn's POV, and long. I'll see if I can get it up tonight!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Balance Disturbed

**Chapter Three: The Balance Disturbed**

Thorn padded quietly down the stone hallway, her footsteps echoing slightly against the gray flagstone. The hall was dim; she could barely see three feet in front of her. She was no longer wondering about her purpose, or about how many lives would be lost by the next morning. She was no longer Rose. In her Thorn state of mind, only one thing mattered-killing the American Dragon. She was destined to slay it since birth, and she wouldn't-couldn't-hesitate to kill it. She reminded herself that it was evil, a despicable monster, and that slaying it would lead to the betterment of the city. She smiled wickedly. All of these creatures would die soon, and they didn't even know it. They would just be leading their normal lives, and then…then they would be ambushed. The smile faded quickly. Part of her felt for the magical beings, they were so helpless. She shook the thought out of her mind. They weren't helpless. Those Dragons protect them, for what reason she couldn't figure out. Her thoughts wandered back to the American Dragon. _He should be easy to slay… _she thought. _It doesn't have a clue, and with all the extra training I've received, it won't have a chance. (1)_

By now she had reached the Huntslair's meeting room. She opened the heavy iron door, and stepped inside. The room had vaulted ceilings, adding to the atmosphere of a cavernous building. Long pews were filled with Hunters, about one-seventh of which were women, Thorn noted. There were more Huntsmen than she had ever seen before-the entire room was packed-and that was saying something, since it was the size of a large church. Thorn looked around the dark room, searching for a familiar face. She finally found one, and hurried over to sit next to her.

"Hey, Shadow," Thorn greeted her friend. A girl with long black hair tied securely into a tight bun, black eyes, and a soft expression turned.

"Hi Thorn!" Shadow replied. Her dark eyes flickered. "Are you excited? Please, don't forget the little people once you're Huntsmistress!" She feigned desperation. Thorn grinned.

"Oh, don't worry; I won't…uh…what's your name again?" She replied. The two girls started laughing, until they were shooshed by an aggravated Hunter. The girls glared at him, but quit laughing.

Suddenly, a dead silence fell across the room. The Huntsmaster had entered, his heavy steel boots clamoring against the concrete. He scanned the large crowd with his blood red glare.

"We have gathered here today from across the world. We are brothers and sisters, separated by distance, but now we have come together for the chance of a lifetime. Today we will stand as one against a plague that has rendered the world for centuries. Magical creatures, some believe, are harmless. They think unicorns are 'cute', and leprechauns are 'silly'. They are wrong. If these creatures joined forces, they would overthrow the balance of life as we know it. That is why we fight. We fight for our freedom, for the freedom of our children, the freedom of our neighbors. We fight for the freedom of ourselves. We strike at sunset, when mythical beings are most active. Do not hold back. Kill any creature you can get a hold of. Do not spare women or children, for they can become vicious as soon as anything else." He paused, letting his words sink in. "There is another event to celebrate tonight. My niece, Thorn will be taking my place when she turns eighteen as the new Huntsmistress. Tonight, she shall slay her first creature, an important event in any apprentices' lives. If any dragons should show up, the one called the American Dragon is her prize. Alert me if he should show. Grab your gear, we must be quick. We have a long way to travel, and even with teleportation it will take several hours."

There was a commotion as everyone retrieved their Huntssticks, and moved into an adjoining room. This room was a bit larger than the former, and Thorn noticed wires running around the perimeter of the space. _The transporting system, of course, _she thought. It took a long time for everyone to transfer into the connecting room, and as they did, Shadow and Thorn talked.

"Are you nervous?" Shadow said, her tone expressing that she was anxious herself.

Thorn shrugged, trying to seem like it was typical for her. Shadow looked skeptical.

"Okay, maybe a little," Thorn admitted.

"Yeah…it's weird hunting with so many people…" Shadow commented, looking at the Hunters still filing through the doors.

"What are you going to hunt?" Shadow asked after a moment.

Thorn thought for a while. "I never really thought about it," she concluded.

Shadow nodded. "Neither did I, but it just popped in my head. I think I want to take on a Phoenix, they have such pretty feathers, I could make some cool earrings…"

"Yeah," Thorn replied. She wasn't really in the talking mood. Her mind and body were in a sort of meditative stage, and she was focusing all her energy on reviewing her attacks.

Suddenly, the lights went out, and the wires started glowing a bright, neon green. A sucking feeling tugged at Thorn's feet, and she was dragged through the floor, her feet seemed drawn down into the oblivion by a magnet. She looked over and saw that Shadow was next to her, as were the rest of the Huntsclan. Besides the people, there was only darkness.

"So, what do we do now?" Shadow asked in a normal voice, though it seemed as though she was talking in a whisper.

"We wait," Thorn replied.

**Thorn is calling the American Dragon 'it', this will come up later on…**

**Okay everyone, what do you think? REVIEW! I do not own American Dragon: Jake Long, but I do own Shadow.**


	4. Chapter 4: It Begins

**Chapter Four: It Begins**

"How do you know they're gonna hit Draco Isle?" Jake questioned.

"Ah, it makes perfect sense. Magus Bizarre is on Draco Isle (1), and that is where most magical beings are, plus dragons are nearby." Grampa explained, as he, Jake, and Fu made their way towards the magical elevator.

Grampa pressed that odd series of numbers-which still left Jake confused-and the elevator opened with a ping. A squat green troll sat in the elevator.

"Welcome to Enchanted Elev-" The troll was cut off by Fu Dog.

"Cut it, Bob, we're on business. Get us to the Isle of Draco as fast as you can," Fu said, flipping Bob a coin.

Bob grumbled something, but pulled the lever, and the elevator sped downwards.

Jake was prepared for the lurching this time, but he still felt the mix of nausea and emptiness in his stomach. After what felt like and eternity, the elevator came to a halt with a thud. Jake hurried out, glad to feel solid earth again. When he finally recomposed himself, a shocking sight met his eyes. Hundreds of dragons were in a disorderly group, talking excitedly, nervously, or both. Near the group of dragons, thousands of purple Gremlins were being kept under control by the 'Hubba-bubba Hula'. There were also large groups of nixes, sphinxes, Phoenixes, and even some unicorns.

"Yo, Gramps, what are these other creatures here for?" Jake asked, stunned. Grampa walked over to him, a look of mixed pride and sorrow on his face as he surveyed the beings.

"They are fighting for their homes, the same as anyone would," He explained. "Let's go, I wish to speak to the Council."

Jake followed Grampa and Fu as they made their way towards Councilor Andam.

"Councilor, do you wish for us to lead my group into position?" Grampa asked respectfully.

"Yes, Lao, please do. Only two other leaders have arrived so far." Andam replied gratefully.

"Yo, I didn't know you were a leader." Jake commented as they walked to the group of dragons.

"Yes. We have a very important role, in fact. We are to be the first to attack." Lao said wistfully.

Jake stopped. "The first? You mean, like, the people who get attacked by arrows and junk?"

"Yes." Grampa replied as if it were nothing. _Great, _Jake thought. _We're dead. _He started following Grampa again.

"Don't worry, kid. If the Gremlins do their job, then you only have to worry about the first few minutes." Fu chuckled.

"Thanks, Fu," Jake grumbled.

"Anytime, kid," Fu replied.

They had reached the babbling dragon herd, and Grampa went to the front, up onto a podium. Immediately the talking ceased. _How does he do that? _Jake mused.

"Dragon Group A please follow me." He said, walking off the stage and through the grass. About fifty dragons broke off of the group, following him. Jake shrugged and jogged up to Grampa.

"Where are we going?" Jake asked.

"To the cliffs. Once the Huntsclan arrives, we will launch an aerial attack." Grampa said simply. They finally reached the top of the cliff and Jake looked around. They were about two hundred feet above the valley. Jake felt a small splash on his face, and looked up. The normally blue sky of Draco was gray and cloudy. Rain started pounding down with fury, and everyone was soaked within minutes. Thunder sounded and lightning flashed, the sky overhead roared fiercely at them.

"Jake, you may want to change into your dragon form; we have to be ready at a seconds notice." Lao Shi suggested, already in his form.

"Right," Jake muttered. "Dragon up!" He felt the familiar sensation of warm flames consuming his body, not even dwindled by the heavy rainfall. When the fire subsided, a large red dragon stood in Jake's place.

"They're here!" Someone in the crowd yelled. Grampa, Fu, Jake, and everyone else in the crowd turned. Sure enough, there were thousands of Huntsmen waiting in the valley below.

**I have no clue where Magus Bizarre really is, but in this story it is on Draco Isle. Please don't tell me it's wrong. (1)**

**Please REVIEW! I do not own American Dragon Jake Long. **


	5. Chapter 5: The Darkness Within

**Chapter Five: The Darkness Within**

Thorn had been standing there for over two hours, and frankly, she was sick of it. She was getting more irritated by the second, and Shadow's constant blabbering was just adding fuel to the fire.

"Hey, how much longer do you think it'll be?" Shadow asked for the sixth time.

Thorn's anger flared. "I DON"T KNOW!" She yelled, frustrated. Her expression softened when she saw the hurt in her friend's eyes.

"Sorry, Shadow, I'm just frustrated after all this standing and waiting."

"Well, you won't have to wait any longer," A cold voice spoke from behind. Thorn jumped and spun around quickly. She was relieved to see it was just her uncle.

"What do you mean, master?" Thorn asked.

"We're arriving…now." Huntsmaster said as the heavy feeling in Thorn's ankles subsided. The blackness lightened to a dull gray, and she was soaking wet. For a moment she wondered if they had accidentally landed in the ocean, when she noticed that she could breathe. She blinked the water out of her eyes and looked around. She could scarcely make out some mountains nearby and a thunderstorm up above. Thorn then heard the Huntsmaster, who was standing next to her, yell something she didn't catch.

"Separate! Draw your arrows! We're under attack!" Huntsmaster repeated, his gaze thrown upward. His eyes glinted maliciously.

Thorn looked up quickly and saw, with a mix of shock and horror, dozens of dragons descending rapidly towards them. She reached down for her bow and arrow. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she readied the weapon. Squinting one eye, her vision blurred by the thickening sheet of rain, she fired. The arrow hit its intended target, but to Huntsgirl's amazement, the arrow just bounced off the dragon's scales. _What the heck? _She looked down at her bow, and noticed that the green power button wasn't glowing. Basically, her weapon was useless against tough dragon's hide. _But all our weapons were inspected before we left…_Thorn looked around hopelessly, and, surprisingly, about half the Hunters were observing their bows. _Oh god no…_Thorn thought, seeing a small flash of purple.

"Gremlins…" Thorn grimaced. She looked down at her staff, and gave a little smile when she saw that the little creatures hadn't gotten to it yet, since the power button was still lit.

Most of the Hunters were unfocused and confused, fighting over working weapons.

"Idiots…" Thorn mumbled. The dragons had now entered the battle, and the Huntsclan was going downhill. _Remember the mission, _she thought. She scanned the area quickly, and saw what she was looking for. A unicorn had just defeated a Hunter less than eight yards away. It was neighing in victory when Thorn seized her opportunity. She ran over to it with quiet foot-falls, moving as silent as night, testing her training to the limit. It was almost too easy; the unicorn had its back to her while facing another Hunter, who was losing. Quick as a rattlesnake, she struck, jumping staff first into the battle. The unicorn turned, but it was too late. Thorn's Huntstaff plunged through the pearly fur, and sank deeply into the creature's flesh. It gave one last shocked look before it fell onto its side. Thorn had made her first kill.

**A/N: For all of you who expected a Thorn who would go soft at the last minute, sorry to disappoint you. In the next chap we'll see how she feels about it. It won't be what you're expecting…PLEASE, FOR THE GOOD OF HUMANITY, REVIEW! I don't own American Dragon: Jake Long. If I did season 2 would be out now.**


	6. Chapter 6: When All Innocence Dies

**Chapter Six: When All Innocence Dies…**

Thorn looked down in surprise at her prey. The beautiful glow in the unicorn's body was fading quickly, yet its horn seemed to capture all the energy, as it was now a bright fluorescent white. She heard screams and death around her, shrieks and pain, some from magical creatures, and some from her fellow Huntsmen. A small smile spread across Thorn's face as a feeling she had never experienced before took a hold of her. Power. The power she felt exhilarated her, raising her pulse and quickening her heart rate. Her moment of triumph was short-lived, however, for she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side as she was kicked into a tree. She crumpled for a moment, clutching her side. Standing up shakily, and removing her hand, she saw that it was covered in dark blood.

"Doesn't feel so good, does it?" A voice said coolly from behind. _The American Dragon…_Thorn thought with a growl before she had even turned. Her opponent had obviously been training also, since it was larger and quicker than she remembered.

"So, we meet again, Dragon," Thorn snarled, dashing for her Huntstaff. Jake new what she was going to do a split-second before she did it. He dashed for it also, and in the long-run each of them held one end of the weapon. Thorn glared darkly at the dragon, who smirked.

"Hey girl, when ya gonna give it up?" He asked with a smile. Thorn scowled at the dragon's ignorance.

"Do you really think you can win this?" Thorn asked, her eyes locked onto the red reptile's. _Always watch your opponent's eyes…you can always tell their next move by their eyes. _Jake stared back at her just as intently, realizing that Thorn wasn't foolish enough to allow her gaze to quiver. They stayed bent in that position for what seemed like an eternity, both ignoring the growing pain in their backs. Jake grinned at her.

"You know you can't keep this up forever, baby, so just give it up!" He said cockily. Thorn glared.

"I can't, can I?" Thorn sneered. With a burst of speed, she plucked this stick out of the dragon's grasp. She held it before her threateningly.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way," Thorn taunted, still feeling the mighty empowerment in her veins.

"How about the hard way?" Jake muttered, eyeing the glowing stick that still had gleaming red blood stains on it. Thorn jumped in for her attack, but the dragon dodged her. She kicked; he blocked. She punched; he ducked. He was literally untouchable, and this just fed Huntsgirl's anger. She would not let this dragon rob her of her destiny; tug her fate from beneath her heels. A maddened edge came to her eyes as her frustration increased, she desperately tried to attack the dragon, but he was too quick. Finally, she was able to get a hard kick on his stomach. He doubled over, and instead of waiting for him to make his move, she delivered a punch to the same spot, flicked back on her hands, and kicked him over. He fell flat on his back, and Thorn leaped towards him, Huntsstaff in hand. When Jake opened his eyes, it was to stare into cruel, merciless blue eyes. Eyes that were so cold and distant…yet so familiar…

**What do you think? Review, please.**


	7. Chapter 7: Captured

**Chapter 7: Captured**

Thorn stood over the dragon, her eyes ablaze. She felt a sudden surge to stop, that what she was doing was wrong. Why did she feel like this? There was no remorse within her for the unicorn, so what was this tugging in the back of her conscience? Her grip on the staff faltered, and her eyes flickered. Though she hated herself for it, she was hesitating. She gazed down at the red dragon that dare not move, and she bit her lip. The rushing feeling of power had drained completely, and she tried to regain her steady grip. _It is evil, _she reminded herself. _Dragons are terrible creatures. _

"Thorn, bring the captive here!" She heard the familiar voice of the Huntsmaster demand. A wave of relief washed over her. She snarled at the dragon, and prodded him with the stick. He glared back at her as she used amazing speed in chaining him. Within seconds his arms were locked at his sides.

"Move it, dragon-boy," Thorn growled, her Huntstaff held threateningly at his back. He reluctantly trudged forward, throwing dirty glances back at Thorn when she urged him on with her Huntsstick. Her confidence restored once again, she bounded into the transfer system proudly. There were less than half the Hunters than there were on the voyage to Magus Bizarre. Thorn's gaze floated over the others. She suddenly noticed something was wrong. Shadow wasn't among them.

"Huntsmaster, where is Shadow?" Thorn asked with a tint of fear in her voice.

The Huntsmaster shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, avoiding his niece's eyes.

"We haven't found her." He said sternly. Realization dawned on Thorn, and her eyes grew wide.

"You're not going to leave her here, are you?" Thorn pleaded.

"You know better than to ask such questions!" Huntsmaster snapped. "We have no choice. There is not enough time to look for her."

This was too much for Thorn to take. Her eyes flashed, and she glared at her uncle. She silently made her way towards the exit, dragging Jake along with her.

"What do you think you're doing?" The Huntsmaster demanded.

"I'm going to find her!" Thorn said determinedly.

"You know it is too risky. Do not be a fool. We have the dragons down temporarily, but the will recover quickly, and you'll be taken prisoner." The Huntsmaster reminded.

"I won't leave her by herself." Thorn stated strongly.

"Then why are you taking it?" The Huntsmaster said, indicating Jake, who was offended at being called an 'it'.

"Dragons are merciful creatures. Evil, but merciful. If they have Shadow, they didn't kill her, they captured her. And they'd be willing to trade off." Thorn said uncertainly.

"You are willing to risk membership into the Huntsclan?" The Huntsmaster thundered.

"I'll have other opportunities to capture the American Dragon. I won't have any others to save my friend," Thorn said before turning, with Jake in tow, and exiting the transfer.

"Who would of guessed you'd be the ultimate friend?" Jake teased, though he felt a strange admiration for her values.

"Shut up, you should be thanking me right now. I may just have saved your dragon tail…or maybe not." She added slyly.

Jake grinned at her. "I'm eternally grateful," He said mockingly. A small smile flitted beneath Huntsgirl's mask. She withdrew it immediately.

Glancing around, Thorn was in utter shock. She saw Hunter's dead or dying in pools of dark blood, shining in the setting sun. She saw dragons dead, or treating wounds. It was a horrible sight, straight out of the Civil War. The usually vibrant green grass of Draco was splattered with red, people were moaning. Suddenly, Thorn saw something unexpected. It was the unicorn she had killed. It lay there, no longer with the bright pearly aura, but a pale off-white color. Its horn was a dim gray, and its eyes were wide open, staring at her. She backed up several steps, horror filling her heart. She had contributed to this bloodshed, this murderous day. Murder that was what she had committed. It hadn't felt like it at the time, but now she realized that this was the fact. Her vision blurred and her eyes stung, and she knew she was about to cry. _No, whatever you do, don't cry. Don't let the dragon see you cry. _She turned away, blinking rapidly. Jake knew she was restraining tears, and felt sympathy for her, even though she had cold-heartedly killed this unicorn. He stood behind her awkwardly, until something caught his eye.

"Hey, girl, is that your friend?" He asked helpfully. Thorn spun around on her heels, and Jake noted her eyes were a bit pink, though he made no comment. Sure enough, in the distance, was Shadow…who looked to be fighting a yellow dragon. Or were they quarrelling?

Shadow folded her brow in irritation. The dragon she was supposed to be battling was yellow, with orange lightning bolt-shaped stripes and orange wings, and talked with an Australian accent.

"What's wrong shela?" he asked with one eyebrow raised. "Can't handle all this?"

Shadow growled softly, for the one thing she hated more than boys who were full of themselves were dragons who were full of themselves.

"You might want to be informed that I know ten different ways to kill you with a Popsicle stick." Shadow threatened.

"You know you like it," The dragon replied, earning a snarl from Shadow.

"I hate you," Shadow said in a low voice.

"I love you too." The yellow lizard answered, arms folded.

"This dragon giving you trouble, Shadow?" Thorn bounded over quickly, Jake following her.

"Oh, two shelas, well I'll be darned." The yellow dragon said. His eyes widened when he saw Jake…in chains.

"Didn't take you long to get captured, huh Ja-" He was cut off by a quick kick to the shins from Jake, angry that Fred Nerk had nearly identified him in the presence of two Huntsgirls.

"Ow!" He yelped, grabbing his leg. "What was that for?"

Jake gave a little nod towards Thorn and Shadow.

"Oh, right, no first name basis. Gotcha," Fred said with a sheepish smile.

"Thanks for serving as a distraction," Shadow commented, stepping from behind Fred, who was now chained just like Jake.

"What the-" Fred said in surprise. "How did you?"

"It pays to be a huntress." Shadow smirked. "Where are the others?"

Thorn hesitated. "They left, I think, I'm not sure. They were about to leave without you, but I went looking for you."

"We better hurry then!" Shadow said fearfully. Then they both saw it. A green flash of light, and a loud boom. The Huntsclan had left them.


	8. Chapter 8: Teenagers Will Be Teenagers

Chapter 8: Teenagers Will Be Teenagers…

Thorn and Shadow exchanged glances of terror. What now?

"Whatcha gonna do now?" Jake asked, with a hint of a tease in his tone.

"Quiet, dragon-boy," Thorn hissed.

"What _do_ we do now?" Shadow said quietly. Thorn looked at her, and saw that Shadow was actually scared.

"Don't worry; I'm sure they'll send…something back for us. We'd better just stay right here." Thorn concluded.

"And how are we going to do that?" Shadow inquired.

"What do you-" Thorn started, but then realized Shadow had a point. All around them, dragons, nixes, and other creatures were recovering. Luckily, they hadn't been noticed. Yet. Thorn scanned the area with her oceanic eyes, and found what she was looking for.

"Come on," She said encouragingly, pulling Jake along behind her.

"Yo, what's your rush?" Jake said, attempting to keep up with her quick pace with his arms behind his back. Shadow followed with Fred, who seemed to be enjoying this little charade.

Arriving in the thick and darkened forest, the four stopped to catch their breath.

"How long do you think you can keep us captive on a dragon island?" Jake mocked Thorn with a smirk.

"Shut it, mate. They can keep us captive as long as they want," Fred said, eyeing Shadow, who glared.

Thorn folded her arms, pondering the situation. They were walking as they spoke, delving deeper into the darkness of the woods.

"Do you think you can undo us? My hands are getting sore," Jake complained.

Thorn sighed exasperatingly, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever. If we do, you'd be gone in a heartbeat."

Jake smiled at her playfully, a little light dancing in his eyes. "What if I promise not to leave?"

Thorn looked up at him, a smile growing beneath her mask at the dragon's bemused grin.

"How do I know you'll keep your promise?" She said, raising a brow.

"If not, I give you my blessing to kill me." Jake said. Thorn hesitated. All of her training screamed at her to refuse, but, strangely, instinct told her to trust him. She glanced at Shadow, who was currently talking to Fred.

"Will you stop complaining!" Shadow said warily.

"Give me a break, I have sinus allergies." Fred admitted.

"And what exactly are you allergic to?" Shadow said flatly.

"Smoke." Fred replied. Shadow couldn't help but laugh.

"Smoke? A dragon allergic to smoke?" She said, her eyes shining.

"Told you I could make you laugh!" Fred said, grinning as well. Shadow blushed beneath the ski mask. She punched him lightly on the arm. Well, lightly for a ninja.

"Ow," he muttered, but the smile stayed on his face. Shadow suddenly seemed to realize what she was doing. Her smile turned into a snarl.

"It'll be harder next time, dragon." She said, turning her back and walking to Thorn.

"She digs me," Fred whispered to Jake.

"Should we?" Thorn asked quietly to Shadow.

Shadow looked unsure. "I don't know…I mean, how bad could it be?" Thorn nodded in agreement, and walked over to Jake. She went behind him, unlocking the handcuffs with a small click. Shadow went over to Fred and did the same. The two girls waited in anxious silence as the dragons rubbed their sore wrists. After a few moments, Thorn broke the silence.

"Well?" She said testily.

"Well what?" Jake answered.

"Aren't you going to attack us? Fly away? Something?" She asked expectantly. Jake grinned.

"I promised. You're stuck with me." He said. Thorn was a bit surprised by the dragon's honesty, but regarded him suspiciously.

"And don't even look at me, I'm not going anywhere." Fred said, looking at Shadow, who sighed.

"This is going to be a long trip," Shadow said miserably, while Thorn and Jake grinned at each other.

"Well, we should find shelter." Shadow reminded, snapping Thorn out of her daze.

"Right, yeah, um…" She looked around uncertainly. "Well, there are some big rocks over there. Maybe there's a cave?" Shadow nodded, picking up her Huntsstick and taking the lead.

"Let's go." She said. Fred hurried to her side, much to her dismay.

Jake and Thorn brought up the rear. Thorn glanced to her left out of the corner of her eye. There was something familiar about this dragon…his cocky but cute manner, his easy-going attitude, even in life-death situations…his eyes. His eyes were so familiar, jet black and warm. Warm? How could a dragon's eyes be warm, they were heartless, cold creatures…at least that's what she had been told. Jake caught her staring, and grinned.

"Why so curious?" He asked jokingly. Thorn blushed beet red, turning away.

"Who said I was?" She said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Then why are you blushing?" he teased her. She blushed even harder; against her will.

"Why do you ask so many questions?" She snapped back at him, but he was unaffected. He suddenly stopped, looking up at the high cliffs, which were still no closer.

"This is going to take forever." Jake muttered. Thorn had to agree, since they had been walking for a half an hour with little progress.

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Thorn asked in a subdued tone. Jake grinned at her, causing an eyebrow to shoot up from her.

"I was hoping you'd ask that." He said. In one fluid motion, his wings gave a little flare, and he scooped Thorn up in his arms. She gave a yelp of surprise as she felt herself lifted up off the ground with amazing speed. Normally, she would've fought with all her might, but she was too surprised, and felt no immediate danger. Within minutes, they landed on a ledge, and Thorn noticed that Fred and Shadow landed right after them. She also noticed that Shadow was as shocked as she was.

"What was that for!" Shadow said, jumping out of Fred's arms. But her look was more confused than angry.

"You've got to trust us if you wanna survive. You've got your strengths, we have ours. Flying just happens to be one of them." Jake said, gently sliding Thorn out of his grasp and onto the stone ledge. Thorn left his warm arms a bit reluctantly, though she would've died before admitting it, even to herself.

"Well, let's look for a cave," Thorn said, walking easily down the three-foot wide edge. The others followed her, until they eventually came to an opening in the wall.

"Thinking what I'm thinking?" Jake asked Fred, who nodded with a smirk. Both dragons blew fire at the crevice, making it open into a large entrance. Behind it, a large hollow cavern resided.

"It'll have to do," Thorn said, frowning at the chill air and damp atmosphere.

"Hey guys, we still have one problem," Shadow stated. Everyone looked at her curiously. "Food?"

"Oh come on, it's not like we're gonna starve out here or somethin'," Fred replied with a wave of his hand. "Are we?"

"Of course not! We just have to, you know, scavenge…" Thorn said.

"I hope you mean for fruit…" Jake added, earning a 'no-duh' look from Thorn.

"And we need to get a fire!" Shadow said.

"You mean we need wood," Fred said, blowing out a tiny flame.

"Let's get to it then," Thorn declared. "We need to split up. Two of us can go look for fire wood, two can go look for food."

"Well, who's going with whom?" Fred asked. Shadow spoke up.

"Why don't I go with Australia here, and you can go with America?" She said, and Thorn nodded.

"Okay, we'll go look for some wood." Thorn said before walking back outside the cave, Jake following her. She immediately stopped, looking down questionably.

"I guess I can give you another lift," Jake said, spreading his wings out. Thorn hesitated, and then walked over to him.

"Uh, what do I do?" She said awkwardly. He knelt down, "Get on my back, and hold on tight." She did as she was told, feeling a slight blush lighten her face. She was glad the dragon couldn't see her.

Minutes later, they landed in a spot not far from where they had begun, but where it was a little less dense. Thorn slid off the dragons back promptly, looking around.

"Better get started," She muttered, bending down to pick up some twigs. Jake nodded, doing the same.

"Hey, what am I supposed to call you?" Thorn asked finally, still working at collecting wood. Jake smiled at her.

"Why?" He asked.

"Well, it's kind of awkward calling you American Dragon all the time…it's too long…" She replied, a hint of curiosity in her voice. Jake hesitated, but seeing that she was just curious, decided.

"My name's Jake." He said after a minute. Thorn stopped dead in her tracks, dropping the twig she had just picked up. She shook her head quickly. No, it couldn't be Jake Long. There were about a thousand Jake's in New York City, what were the chances that these two were the same? Reassured by that thought, she regained her countenance.

"That's a…nice name," Thorn commented, picking up the dropped stick.

"What about you?" He asked. Thorn pondered for a moment. Jake had told her his name, so she guessed she owed him.

"My name? My name is Rose," She said calmly. Jake did a double-take. Rose? Not a chance, he thought. This isn't the same Rose as at school. A moment later he laughed to himself. He had actually believed for a moment that this was the popular girl at school.

"It fits." Jake said with a small chuckle.

Thorn looked at him questionably.

"Haven't you ever heard of the saying, 'Every Rose has its Thorns, as every Thorn has its Rose'?" Jake smiled. Thorn couldn't help but smile at this.

"I guess it does fit," She murmured. "Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

Jake pondered this for a moment. "A good thing. You gotta have some Yin to balance out your Yang."

"Yeah, I guess so…" Thorn replied softly. She looked at the large pile they had collected. "I hope you don't expect me to carry this up the hill." She joked.

"Pshaw. You couldn't even get down here on your own!" Jake teased, picking up a majority of the wood.

Thorn crossed her arms, waiting patiently while Jake did all the work. She glanced casually at her nails in false admiration. Both she and Jake started laughing, knowing that this was a charade.

Back to Fred and Shadow…

"So, what kinda food are we talking bout here?" Fred asked casually. Shadow gave him a you're-an-idiot stare.

"Vegetation, fruit, berries, stuff like that," She sighed. "Err, can you, ya know, give me a lift?" She said awkwardly.

Fred grinned. "Of course, my lady." He bent down, and she climbed on. Within minutes they had reached the ground, and Shadow made it a point to jump right off his back.

"Okay, well how about you look over by those bushes, and I'll take that patch by the trees?" Shadow said authoritatively.

"Aye aye, captain!" Fred said, saluting her. This earned a giggle that was not well suppressed.

As Shadow and Fred split to separate ends of the small clearing, a wind picked up. Shadow bit her lip, and looked over near her destination by the trees. Luckily, they were apple trees, and also, they were in season. Smiling to herself, Shadow easily climbed the nearest tree. She hadn't gotten her Huntsclan name for nothing. She was able to move almost soundlessly up the tree, her movements fluid and calm. She plucked a few of the redder apples off the tree, tossing them to the grass gently.

"Hey, shela, you having any luck?" Fred called to her. It was pretty obvious he wasn't, and a piece of twig was stuck in his ear. Shadow grinned as she jumped down from the limb she was sitting upon.

"Hey, Australia, you've got something in your ear!" She said teasingly. Fred looked perplexed, then pulled out the twig.

"Oh, so that's what's been bothering me…" He commented. "So, you gonna give me your name?" Shadow raised a brow.

"Why should I?" She said, returning to her Huntsgirl-like personage. Fred gave her a sheepish smile before continuing.

"I was just wondering…let me guess…is it Bertha?" He asked.

Shadow made a face. "Bertha? Yuck."

"Jessie?"

"No."

"Bonnie?"

"Nien."

"Teresa?"

"Yeah right!"

"Fine, let's see…what letter does it start with?" Fred inquired.

"An 'A'." Shadow replied.

"Hmmm, let me think…you look like an angel, so…Angela?" Fred guessed.

"Well, yeah, actually…you really think I look like an angel?" Shadow blushed violently. Fred grinned.

"Nothin' less, mate." Fred said. Shadow turned back towards he apples.

"So…what's your name?" She asked.

"Fred," He answered.

"You don't look like a Fred," Shadow mentioned.

"Why is that?" Fred asked.

"I dunno, I just think of Fred Flintsone…" She said, ending in a laugh that Fred joined in on.

"Well, I think we have enough apples to last us a few days, we should probably go find the others." Shadow stated.

"K, let's go," Fred said as Shadow climbed onto his back.

**A/N: I hope I satisfied all you fellow J/R shippers! I know this has been a long wait, but I hope I made up for this with length. Please REVIEW!**


End file.
